Dr. Emile Tompa
Dr. Emile Tompa is a senior scientist at the Institute for Work & Health. He holds appointments as an associate professor in the Department of Economics at McMaster University and as an assistant professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto.
Tompa is a labour and health economist with an MBA from the University of British Columbia, an MA in economics from the University of Toronto, and a PhD in economics from McMaster University.
Tompa’s research interests include the consequences of occupational health and safety system design on the health and well-being of individuals and populations, the economic evaluation of workplace interventions for improving the health and well-being of workers, the economic burden of adverse health conditions and disability, and the analysis of disability policy systems. Most recently, Tompa received a six-year funding envelope as the nominated principal applicant from the New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation Stream for a social innovation laboratory called Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA). The initiative is focused on skilling up employers to advance their abilities to tap into diverse talent pools, with a focus on persons with disabilities.
“How to get the most for the least, that’s the basis for economics. I am interested in analyzing issues related to occupational health and safety and work disability prevention and management from the standpoint of this basic challenge.” – Dr. Emile Tompa
Projects
- Future-proofing young Canadians with disabilities for the changing labour market. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing.
- Implementation of a comprehensive accommodation and reintegration program in a police service. Funded by Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). Ongoing.
- Implementation of PTSI programs in Alberta first responder organizations. Funded by Government of Alberta. Ongoing.
- Incentives-based approaches to support stay at work/return to work: an environmental scan. Funded by Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD), WorkSafeBC. Ongoing.
- Inclusive Design for Employment Access (IDEA): A social innovation lab to increase demand-side capacity to employ persons with disabilities in Canada. Funded by New Frontiers in Research Fund (a Tri-Agency Program—CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC). Ongoing. (PI on the project)
Publications
- Mofidi A, Tompa E, Williams AM, Yazdani A, Lero DS, Mortazavi SB. Impact of a caregiver-friendly workplace policies intervention: a prospective economic evaluation. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2019;61(6):461-468. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001564.
- Mustard C, Tompa E, Landsman V, Lay M. What do employers spend to protect the health of workers?. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health. 2019;45(3):308-311. doi:10.5271/sjweh.3778.
- Riano-Casallas MI, Tompa E. Cost-benefit analysis of investment in occupational health and safety in Colombian companies. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2018;61(11):893-900. doi:10.1002/ajim.22911.
- Scott KA, Fisher GG, Baron AE, Tompa E, Stallones L, DiGuiseppi C. The associations between falls, fall injuries, and labor market outcomes among U.S. workers 65 years and older. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 2018;60(10):943-953. doi:10.1097/JOM.0000000000001379.
- Oldfield M, Gewurtz R, Tompa E, Harlos K, Kirsh B, Lysaght R, Macdougall A, Moll S, Rueda S, Sultan-Taieb H. Improving workplaces to enable people living with mental illness to stay in their jobs. OOHNA Journal. 2018;37(1):46-49.
Speaker Series presentations
- Systematic review of the effectiveness of OHS regulatory enforcement. IWH Speaker Series. May 5, 2015.
- Income security and labour-market engagement: Envisioning the future of work disability policy in Canada. IWH Speaker Series. February 11, 2014.
- Work disability trajectories under three workers' compensation programs. IWH Speaker Series. April 2, 2013.
- The impact of temporary employment and job tenure on sickness absence. IWH Speaker Series. May 4, 2010.
Interviews and articles
- What research can do: IWH researchers help MPs examine episodic disabilities and work issues. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 98, Fall 2019.
- Raising awareness about caregiver supports results in savings for employer: study. At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 97, Summer 2019.
- Despite ban, asbestos lingers and takes a toll decades later. Times Colonist. January 27, 2019. Available from: https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/columnists/monique-keiran-despite-ban-asbestos-lingers-and-takes-a-toll-decades-later-1.23613070
- Research looks at cost-effectiveness in silica dust exposure fight. Daily Commercial News. January 25, 2019. Available from: https://canada.constructconnect.com/dcn/news/ohs/2019/01/research-looks-cost-effectiveness-silica-dust-exposure-fight
- Seeking broad input on a pan-Canadian strategy to improve work choices for people with disabilities . At Work: Institute for Work & Health; No. 95, Winter 2019.